James m



(No Model.) J. M. WILLBUR.

MACHINE FOR GANOELING CHECKS.

. No. 576,750. Patented Feb. 9, 1897.

7 UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAHE S M. WILLBUR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR CANCELING CHECKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,750, dated February 9, 1897'. Application filed August 19, 1895. Serial No. 559,864. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES M. WILLBUR, a citizen of the United States, residing at 192 lVaverly Place, New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Canceling and Perforating Checks, Tickets, Coupons, Bonds, &c., of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to punches and cutters for canceling or mutilating checks and the like after they have been returned to the bank upon which they were drawn, in order that they may be recognized if any attempt is made to use them a second time. The device includes a suitable frame carrying a punch, with means for operating the same, and a series of cutters removably attached to the punch proper.

The invention also includes the details of construction, as will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, and Figs. 3 and l are detail views.

The frame of the machine may be of any suitable design, embodying a base 1 and side standards 2, and an intermediate solid portion 3, through which extends an opening to guide the punch proper, 4. The base 1 is provided with a suitable way for the reception of the base-plate 5, which is retained in position by the latch 6, pivoted to the front of the base. A lever 7 is pivoted eccentrically between the standard 2 in the upper part of the same, and the cam-face of this lever bears upon a roller 8, journaled between the side 9 of a bracket 10, forming an enlarged head on the punch 4. The lever 7 is made telescoping, in order that the required leverage commensurate with the number of papers to be pierced may be obtained. This lever comprises the inner tube 9 and outer sleeve 10 sliding thereon, and provided with the handle 12. The two sections are connect-ed together by a chain 13, which prevents the sleeve 1O being slipped entirely off the tube 9 The cutters may be of any shape or size or number, but in the present instance I have shown but four-knives of L shape, this being a very desirable form. The knives are slighly tapered to 'a cutting edge, with a V- sh'aped upright edge, being larger at the top, and they are held in a disk 12 into which they are tightly driven. A backing-plate l3 is then attached to the disk by suitable fastening means, ordinary screws being shown in the present instance. Centrally from the upper face of the backing-plate l3 a stud 14 projects, said stud preierably being cast integral with said plate and being screwthreaded externally to correspond to the internally-threaded socket formed in the lower end of the plunger 4, into which said stud fits. The knives are thus removably attached to the plunger, and a series of cutters of different configuration may thus readily be used on the same machine. are incased in a loose sleeve 15, provided with a head 16, closing its lower end, said head being provided with a series of slots conforming to the shape in cross-section of the cutter-knives. This sleeve is adapted to rest upon the bunch of papers to be punched, and thus hold the 'same in position, and as said sleeve is freely movable longitudinally it will ride up in relation to the cutters as the same pass through the papers, the slot in the head 16 allowing the free passage of these cutters. The papers are thus always held in a compact form and the knives themselves protected by this automatically-adjustable sleeve. have been pierced to release the same from the knives, a chain connects with the under side of the lever 7 and the bracket 10, a rod 17 extending vertically between the standards 2 from the base 1, this rod being provided with a head or cap that acts as a stop to limit the downward movement of the lever 7, which also comes in contact with the antifriction pulley or wheel attached to the plun- The knives and holder To raise the plunger after the papers ger, thus relieving'the lever from all friction than the backing-plate, and the sleeve at its upper end is fitted to these rings by being slightly reduced in diameter, forming a shoulder which will act as a stop to prevent the sleeve from falling off and so that it will be raised from the checks when the plunger is raised.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. In combination, the frame, the plunger guided therein, the backing-plate secured to said plunger, the knives, and the independent disk carrying the said knives, said disk being secured to said backing-plate, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the frame, the plunger guided therein with means for operating the same, the longitudinallytapered cuttingknives, the independent disk into which said knives are driven and held and the means for connecting said disk to the plunger, substantially as described. 3. In combination the plunger, the knives, the disk carrying the same, the backing-plate for said disk of reduced diameter, and the loose sleeve entirely inolosing said knives whereby it is impossible for the operators hand to reach the beveled edges of the blades, said sleeve having an annular shoulder near its upper end adapted to abut the edge of said disk, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES M. IVILLBUR.

\Vituesses:

NELsoN J. WATERBURY, E. G. WHITTAKER. 

